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George Michael's boyfriend has claimed the singer committed suicide after making four previous attempts to take his own life. Fadi Fawaz, who found Michael dead at his Oxfordshire home in 2016, said the singer died at the age of 53 on Christmas Eve, the birthday of his late mother.

An inquest found Michael died from natural causes and had dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and a fatty liver. Fawaz, 45, originally said he had found the body on Christmas Day but in emails seen by the Sun newspaper he appears to claim the inquest conclusion may have been wrong.

The emails read: "I am sick and tired of people asking me what happened on Christmas Day. "Well let me tell you, George died on his mother's birthday, so that might answer a few questions.

"Not to mention it took five attempts to manage to end his life. I think it's important for the story."

Fawaz, who still lives in Michael's £5m Regent's Park home, insists the singer took his own life. He claims he found his body at lunchtime at home in Goring, Oxfordshire having spent the night outside in the car.

In 2017, Fawaz posted a tweet which appeared to say the performer had taken his own life, however he quickly distanced himself from the post, arguing hackers were responsible.

Michael had been involved in a relationship with Fawaz, a hairdresser and photographer, which lasted from 2012 until 2016.

In 1993 Michael's former boyfriend Anselmo Feleppa died aged 37 from a brain haemorrhage and his own uncle and grandfather took their own lives. When his mother, Lesley Harrison, born on December 24, 1938, died following cancer in 1997 George said: "I was in the black hole. I just used to sleep and sleep. Some days I could barely put one foot in front of the other."

He added: "I think I might have been one of those cowards who chose a nasty way out."

At the request of the family, Senior Coroner Darren Salter did not allow the public to see post mortem results and there was no mention of the toxicology test results. A spokesman for Michael's £105 million estate told The Sun she had "no trust" in Fawaz's claims.